Columbia Business School’s W. Edwards Deming Center for Quality, Productivity, and Competitiveness has named Terry Lundgren, chairman, president and CEO of Macy’s, Inc., as well as Ratan Tata, chairman of Tata Sons Ltd., as winners of the third annual Deming Cup. The award highlights the achievements of practitioners who adhere to and promote excellence in operations, it noted.

The Deming Center’s area of focus is operational excellence, according to a statement released by the institution. The Deming Cup is presented annually to an individual or individuals who have made outstanding contributions in the area of operations and have established a culture of continuous improvement within their organizations.

The Deming Center noted that it recognized Lundgren for effectively navigating Macy’s through periods of profound change, as the company almost doubled in size of through acquisitions and operational reorganization. The institution recognized Tata for his role in transforming a family operated Indian conglomerate into a global organization.